[unreadable] [unreadable] This RO3 proposal seeks funding under the B/START mechanism for a new investigator to study the earliest stages of drug involvement among American-Hispanics in the United States. In specific terms, the proposed project aims at studying exposure to opportunities to use drugs among American Hispanics and the transition to first drug use, as well as progression from use of one drug to others (i.e., alcohol and tobacco use to marijuana use to cocaine use. The proposed study includes the organization and re-analysis of data from the 1979-1994 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, as well as the development of a pilot study using quanti-qualitative methods to explore the meanings of opportunities to use drugs among Hispanics as well as some potential new items for surveys in this area. As a side benefit of the project, a new collaboration network will be established linking efforts from colleges, universities and local not-for-profit organizations serving Hispanics in the Baltimore area. [unreadable] [unreadable]